Starting today with an extraordinary exclusive on the Bruce Lehrmann case by my colleague, Christopher Knaus.
Knaus writes the chief prosecutor in Lehrmann’s trial complained to the ACT police chief that police officers engaged in “a very clear campaign to pressure” him not to prosecute the alleged rape of Brittany Higgins, saying there was “inappropriate interference” and he felt investigators “clearly aligned with the successful defence of this matter” during the trial.
The trial was dropped last week after prosecutors said a retrial would pose an “unacceptable risk” to Higgins’s health. Lehrmann has consistently maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty to one charge of sexual intercourse without consent.
Top news
New environmental protection agency | Environment minister Tanya Plibersek announced plans for a new, empowered EPA – independent of government – to enforce laws designed to protect and restore nature. Conservation group WWF-Australia welcomed the proposed changes but said the timeline to introduce the legislation in late 2023 was too long. “Our wildlife and wild places cannot afford to wait this long for action,” said Rachel Lowry, WWF-Australia’s chief conservation officer.
Victorian Liberals elect moderate leader | After another heavy defeat at last month’s state election, the Victorian Liberals are signalling a move closer to the centre by choosing moderate John Pesutto as leader. Pesutto edged out his conservative-favoured rival, Brad Battin, to win the ballot.
Labor launches women’s health council | When Debra went to a small local hospital after particularly bad arm, neck and chest pain, they sent her away with painkillers. Debra’s GP dismissed her symptoms as her being “stressed” and “anxious”. A year later, she had a heart attack. “No one would believe me,” she said. Countless stories like this have prompted the federal government to announce a National Women’s Health Advisory Council to address medical misogyny, chaired by the assistant health minister, Ged Kearney.
Bali travel advice update | Indonesia’s decision to outlaw sex before marriage – which applies to foreign visitors – has led to Dfat updating its travel advice for Australians visiting Indonesia. The overall advice for Australians travelling to Indonesia is to exercise a high degree of caution. Read our explainer on how these laws affect Australian tourists.
Light plane crash | An Australian girl was at a friend’s house in Florida when a light plane crashed into the Gulf of Mexico on the weekend, killing her parents and older sister. Queensland man Christian Kath, 42, was piloting the rented Piper Cherokee when it crashed on Saturday night with his wife, Misty, 43, and their eldest daughter, Lily, 12, on board.
New Zealand ‘vaccinated blood’ case | A six-month-old, known as Baby W, will not survive without urgent surgery involving a blood transfusion for a congenital heart defect. Except his parents didn’t want to proceed without guarantees their child would only receive blood from unvaccinated donors. That prompted the government to intervene, with the New Zealand high court ruling in favour of health authorities gaining guardianship of a baby boy so his operation could proceed.
King Charles III coins | The first coins have arrived featuring the new king – the 50p coin in circulation in post offices around the UK. Created by sculptor Martin Jennings and personally approved by Charles, the king’s portrait faces to the left, in the opposite direction to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
Peru president ousted over alleged coup attempt | Peru’s president, Pedro Castillo, has been detained on charges of “rebellion” after he announced he would shutter congress and install a “government of exception” to rule by decree – just hours before he was due to face an impeachment vote. Castillo’s move prompted calls from the US, Mexico and the Organisation of American States to protect Peru’s democratic institutions.
Full Story
The draconian law that saw climate activist Violet Coco jailed
Australia – the world’s sixth-oldest democracy – is jailing protesters, drawing condemnation from human rights groups, local politicians, and even the UN. How did we get to this point? Listen to this 19-minute episode.
What they said …
***
“Why should the taxpayer be compensating fossil fuel companies who haven’t seen their input costs go up, it’s just the prices they can get on the wider international market are going up. Why should we pay for that?” – Chris Bowen
The minister for climate change and energy said government “cannot and will not stand by” while companies make “massive profits because of the [Ukraine] invasion”. But his colleague, treasurer Jim Chalmers, hosed down suggestions of a windfall tax on super profits just the other day. So what exactly is the government going to do?
In numbers
A huge surge in visitors to Qatar at this stage is unlikely with only eight teams staying on in Doha, and eight games left out of the 64 in the tournament that began on 20 November.
Before bed read
Did you know that parts of the Arctic region once featured boreal forests of poplar and birch trees teeming with wildlife? Neither did I.
A breakthrough in DNA analysis – going back 2m years – from the northern peninsula of Greenland paints a picture of forests populated by reindeer, hares, lemmings and mastodons, and elephant-like ice age mammals. The 16-year project has given us unprecedented insights into how climate change can shape ecosystems.
Sign up
If you would like to receive this Afternoon Update to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here. And start your day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know. Sign up for our Morning Mail newsletter here.
